“There is no guarantee to get a Native in there” ND Rez Seeks Rep

Could redistricting bring Standing Rock Reservation state representation? Also, are there republicans in the waiting on the Rez?

Is "Rez" offensive? I only have so many characters in a headline. Plus, I liked the quote from Mike Faith, chairman of the Standing Rock Tribe.

I'm a ND native, and in my lifetime, the term has been exchanged often among us all.  But I'm not a Native in North Dakota...so please understand no offense implied.  One of my best friends is a proud Native?

Stop being so sensitive. Or not, I'm not the boss of you.

Question is...will North Dakota redistricting lead to actual direct State representation by a member of a Native American Nation?

Associated Press says it seems like there already is...

The Legislature currently has three lawmakers who claim Native American or Alaska Native heritage: Fargo Democratic Rep. Ruth Buffalo, a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes; Minot GOP Sen. Oley Larsen, a member of Alaska’s Sealaska Corp.; and Sen. Richard Marcellais, a Democrat from Belcourt and member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Only Marcellais lives on a reservation.

Of course I'm talking about Native American Ole Larson...

You thought I was going to go with Marcellais, Democrat from Belcourt, member of the TMBC. Well that's probably more appropriate...but Ole's got some cred too.

So the idea is...could there be a subdistrict in a district?

Meaning there would be one senator assigned to a district and separate representatives assigned to sub-districts. The chairman of the redistricting committee Republican Legislator Bill Devlin says he's not opposed to considering subdistricts. Out of his 16 member committee- 2 are democrats. Which, to the state's credit, is a political over-representation. Do the math and prove me wrong.

Seems tho'- we've been there and done that...

During the Legislature’s redistricting effort in 1991, the Three Affiliated Tribes filed a federal lawsuit in an attempt to force lawmakers to create subdistricts on the Fort Berthold reservation. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying a subdistrict would lack a majority of American Indian voters.

But, even in today's inclusive society- we're wrought with so many internal squabbles,  the AP continues to report....

Redistricting lawmakers have been adamant that none of the five American Indian reservations in the state would be divided into separate Legislative districts. Each are located within a single district.

Fine. But what about...

Standing Rock tribal member Charles Walker said the reservation, which straddles North Dakota and South Dakota, is located within “some of the deepest red states we know.”  Republicans, who wield supermajority control in the North Dakota Legislature, likely would find American Indian voters share some values, if only they weren’t overlooked, Walker said.

So, is there a Republican stronghold on the Rez?  Maybe.  But Charles Walker lives in South Dakota.  So maybe we have this conversation again in 10 years.